1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a chemical analysis element supplier for supplying chemical analysis elements such as those for quantitatively analyzing the content of a specific chemical component contained in a sample liquid such as blood or urine or those for quantitatively analyzing the activity of particular ionic substances contained in a sample liquid such as blood or urine.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been put into practice various "dry-to-the-touch" chemical analysis elements.
For example, there has been proposed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,992,158; 4,292,272 and 5,019,347 and European Patent 0 162 302B and put into practice a "dry-to-the-touch" chemical analysis film with which the content of a specific chemical component contained in a sample liquid, the activity thereof or the content of a solid component can be quantitatively analyzed by only spotting a droplet of the sample liquid on the film. As such a dry chemical analysis film, there has been known an integrated multi-layered chemical analysis film (sometimes referred to as "multi-layered chemical analysis element") comprising a support sheet of organic polymer and a reagent layer formed on the support sheet. The reagent layer contains therein a reagent whose optical density changes by chemical reaction, biochemical reaction, immunoreaction or the like with a specific biochemical component contained in the sample liquid. A spreading layer is sometimes formed over the reagent layer. Further a dry chemical analysis film which is formed of filter paper and has one or more layers has been proposed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,575, and partly put into practice.
The chemical analysis film is generally in the form of a film chip of a predetermined shape such as square or rectangle. In the past, the film chip is generally provided with a frame of organic polymer or the like for facilitating automated handling of the film chip. The film chip provided with such a frame is generally called a chemical analysis slide. However in a chemical analysis apparatus we have previously proposed, the chemical analysis film chip is used as it is without frame. The chemical analysis film without frame is generally referred to as "a frameless chemical analysis film".
When quantitatively analyzing the chemical components or the like contained in a sample liquid using such a chemical analysis film (a chemical analysis slide or a frameless chemical analysis film), a droplet of the sample liquid is spotted on the chemical analysis film (on the spreading layer when the film is provided with a spreading layer and directly on the reagent layer when the film is provided with no spreading layer) and is held at a constant temperature for a predetermined time (incubation) in an incubator so that coloring reaction occurs, and the optical density of the color formed by the coloring reaction is optically measured. That is, measuring light containing a wavelength which is pre-selected according to the combination of the component to be analyzed and the reagent contained in the reagent layer of the film is projected onto the film and the optical density of the film is measured. Then the concentration or the activity of the component to be analyzed is determined on the basis of the optical density using a calibration curve (standard curve) which represents the relation between the concentration of the biochemical component and the optical density.
Further there has been proposed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,053,381 and 4,437,970 and put into practice a "dry-to-the-touch" electrolyte analysis slide for quantitatively analyzing the activity of particular ionic substances contained in a sample liquid such as blood or urine in a potentiometric way. The electrolyte analysis slide is a kind of electrochemical sensors and comprises an ion selective electrode.
In this specification, the term "chemical analysis element" should be broadly interpreted to include the chemical analysis slide, the frameless chemical analysis film, the single-layered or multi-layered chemical analysis film formed of filter paper (with or without frame), and the electrolyte analysis slide described above.
A plurality of chemical analysis elements are stacked in a cartridge and a plurality of cartridges containing therein different types of chemical analysis elements (chemical analysis elements for different components to be analyzed) are loaded in a chemical analysis element supplier. According to the kind of analyte (the component to be analyzed), a chemical analysis element is taken out from one of the cartridges and is supplied to a chemical analysis apparatus. For example, in a chemical analysis element supplier disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59(1984)-20858 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,512,952 and 5,089,418, a plurality of cartridges are arranged in a circle on a support and the support is rotated to bring a selected cartridge to an element take-out position. In the element take-out position, a slide member which slides from the inside out pushes out the chemical analysis elements in the cartridge one by one.
As a mechanism for removing the cartridge after use from the supplier, one having a dropping mechanism which automatically drops the cartridge or one having a mechanism which opens a lid or a shutter of the supplier to give the operator access to the cartridge inside the supplier may be used.
However the former mechanism is disadvantageous in that a dropping mechanism and a space for dropping the cartridge are required below the supplier, which disturbs miniaturization of the apparatus and adds to the cost.
That is, an element take-out mechanism for taking out the chemical analysis element from the cartridge and a shutter opening mechanism for opening and closing an element take-out opening of the supplier and the like are disposed below the supplier and accordingly it is difficult to dispose the dropping mechanism below the supplier without interference with those mechanisms.
The latter mechanism is disadvantageous in that it is difficult to ensure storing performance of the supplier. That is, in order to stabilize humidity in the supplier, it is preferred that the cartridge inlet opening and the film take-out opening be as small as possible, and in order to store the chemical analysis elements at a low temperature, it is preferred that the wall of the supplier be as thick as possible, which results in a small and deep cartridge inlet opening and makes it difficult to take out the cartridge through the cartridge inlet opening.